Main ingredient to '04 titles: Defense

Bob Sakamoto

There were times this season when Libertyville's defensive players gathered in the locker room to rehash an ongoing lament.

"The guys would look at a newspaper and talk about how the offense was getting all the credit and publicity," said All-State defensive back Jeff Fontana, who was privy to such gatherings because he played both ways. "They were mostly joking around and just glad we were winning."Coaches have been known to placate their defenders by reminding them that headlines and glamor don't produce state championships.

Well, defensive players everywhere, grab a pair of scissors, clip and save because the 2004 Tribune All-State Football Team will honor the blue-collar, down-and-dirty guys.

Last week's state championships were all about defense.

In the Class 8A game, Downers Grove North held Maine South 30 points below its average in a 33-13 victory.

In 7A, Libertyville defensive back Kevin Burns fell on a blocked punt in the end zone for the winning points in a 13-3 decision over Cary-Grove.

Providence's suffocating defense and timely special-teams play resulted in a 40-0 rout of Bloomington in 6A.

In 5A, Chris Jeske, Joliet Catholic's two-time All-State linebacker, recovered a fumble in the end zone for the winning points in a 17-0 title-game victory over Morris.

Six of the 11 players on the All-State defensive unit played in a title game last Saturday in Champaign.

"All we do at Downers North is run the ball and play defense," said 6-foot-2-inch, 270-pound All-State defensive tackle Cody Cielenski, who had 21 sacks. "Two-thirds of our practices are devoted solely to defense.

"Winning the first state title in any boys sport at Downers North, you're going to be able to run with that forever. I could eventually settle down here and my kid might go there. They still might not have won another state title."

Jeske has been hailed as the greatest linebacker in the illustrious history of Joliet Catholic football, a history that now boasts 12 state titles. He has three championship rings.

"Coach [Dan] Sharp always tells us that if we pitch a shutout, he can guarantee no worse than a tie," said Jeske, who finished with 150 total tackles. "Our offense always knows we've got their backs."

Providence's legacy of nine state titles has been built around a powerful defensive tradition. This latest Celtics unit gave up an average of 6.4 points per game.

Its shining moment came during a bruising semifinal, when Providence stopped Mt. Carmel's two-point attempt in double overtime for a 16-15 victory.

"They know everything the other team is going to do, and we do one repetition after another in practice. In the Peoria Richwoods playoff game (a 27-0 victory), we knew what was coming before almost every snap."

Novak was a difference-maker all over the field with six blocked kicks, one interception, two punt returns for touchdowns and one kick return for a score.

"Gannon Novak is the best player on that team," Richards coach Gary Korhonen said after a 31-0 quarterfinal loss to the Celtics. "He can beat you in so many ways."